Wearable access point

ABSTRACT

A portable access point comprises a wireless LAN transceiver that selectively establishes a plurality of Ethernet wireless links with a plurality of wireless client devices, respectively. A wireless WAN transceiver establishes an Ethernet data connection with an Internet Service Provider (ISP), receives and forwards Ethernet data packets from at least one of said wireless client devices to said ISP and receives and forwards Ethernet data packets from said ISP to said one of said wireless client devices. A routing device routes Ethernet data packets between said wireless LAN transceiver and said wireless WAN transceiver. A control module controls operation of said wireless LAN transceiver and said wireless WAN transceiver. A first storage device stores operating system and application instructions for said control module.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/295,106, filed Dec. 6, 2005. The disclosure of the above applicationis incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to access points for networks, and moreparticularly to portable access points.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, a functional block diagram of a wireless router100 according to the prior art is presented. The wireless router 100includes a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) transceiver 102, which usesIEEE 802.11 to communicate with multiple wireless client devices (notshown). The wireless LAN transceiver 102 communicates with a routingmodule 104 and with a processor 106. The processor 106 communicates withsystem storage 108 and with a WAN (Wide Area Network) Ethernet port 110,which provides an RJ-45 connector for connecting to a cable modem, DSL(Digital Subscriber Line) modem, or any other suitable WAN connection.The wireless router 100 is powered via a power cable socket 112 thatreceives power from an electrical outlet, usually through a transformer(not shown).

The routing module 104 also communicates with a firewall 114 and a DHCP(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server 116. The routing module 104communicates packets between the WAN Ethernet port 110 and the wirelessLAN transceiver 102, subject to firewall 114 restrictions. The firewall114 protects against malicious traffic, and may also allow for parentalcontrol. The routing module 104 can also send packets between wirelessdevices communicating with the wireless LAN transceiver 102. The DHCPserver 116 answers requests received by the wireless LAN transceiver 102for IP (Internet Protocol) addresses. These IP addresses are dynamicallyassigned to wireless devices as they attempt to connect to the wirelessrouter 100.

The firewall 114 may also provide NAT (Network Address Translation)capability for sharing a common IP address among the multiple wirelessdevices communicating with the wireless LAN transceiver 102. Theprocessor 106 controls operation of the wireless LAN transceiver 102,the routing module 104, system storage 108, the WAN Ethernet port 110,the firewall 114, and the DHCP server 116. The processor 106 retrievesinstructions from system storage 108, and may also store operatingparameters in system storage 108. The processor 106 may also function asa web server to provide a convenient interface to client devices forupdating various settings of the wireless router 100. The firewall 114and DHCP server 116 may be implemented as functions of the processor106.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A portable access point comprises a wireless LAN transceiver that iscapable of establishing a plurality of Ethernet wireless links with aplurality of wireless client devices, respectively. A wireless WANtransceiver establishes an Ethernet data connection with an InternetService Provider (ISP), receives and forwards Ethernet data packets fromat least one of said wireless client devices to said ISP and receivesand forwards Ethernet data packets from said ISP to said one of saidwireless client devices. A routing device routes Ethernet data packetsbetween said wireless LAN transceiver and said wireless WAN transceiver.A control module controls operation of said wireless LAN transceiver andsaid wireless WAN transceiver. A first storage device stores operatingsystem and application instructions for said control module.

In other features, a charging connection provides power from the powersource to an external battery-powered device. The wireless LANtransceiver includes a sleep mode that stops transmission and waits fora resume signal to be received, and wherein the control module placesthe wireless LAN transceiver in the sleep mode to conserve power. Thecontrol module places the wireless LAN transceiver in the sleep modewhen packets have not been received at the wireless LAN transceiver fora first period of time.

In further features, the control module monitors a state of charge ofthe power source, the first period of time varying in accordance withthe state of charge. The control module monitors a state of the powersource to determine a power saving feature level. A second storagedevice is used for storing at least one of backup data and mediainformation. The second storage device includes a universal file systemto allow the second storage device to appear as a removable storagedevice to the wireless devices.

In still other features, the wireless WAN transceiver includes aBluetooth transceiver operable to communicate with a Bluetooth mobilephone that can establish a data service with the ISP. The wireless WANtransceiver includes a digital cellular transceiver operable tocommunicate with the ISP via a data service of a mobile telephonyservice provider. A belt clip permits wearing of the portable accesspoint. A firewall protects the wireless devices from malicious activity.The firewall provides Network Address Translation (NAT) for the wirelessdevices. A DHCP server leases Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to thewireless devices.

In other features, an expansion port is operable for connecting to aheadset. The expansion port is operable for connecting to physiologicalsensors. The physiological sensors include at least one of athermometer, a blood glucose meter, a blood pressure monitor, astethoscope, a pedometer, an ECG recorder, and an EEG recorder. Theexpansion port includes at least one analog to digital converter forconverting analog physiological data to a digital format. The expansionport includes at least one preamplifier to boost a signal level from oneof the physiological sensors.

In further features, a Global Positioning System receiver determines aphysical location of the portable access point, wherein the controlmodule is operable to transmit the physical location to a remote sitewhen an alarm condition is detected. A display displays informationpertaining to collected data from the physiological sensors. An inputdevice accepts input from the input device to determine when to sampledata from the physiological sensors. A web server module provides asecure web interface to authorized users for accessing collected datafrom the physiological sensors.

In still other features, the control module receives media information,and at least one of records and streams the media information. Mediainformation is received from the satellite radio tuner and the AM/FMtuner. An audio port is operable to connect to at least one ofheadphones and a stereo system. The portable access point also includesa microphone, a speaker, an input device that receives informationincluding telephone numbers, and a display for displaying the telephonenumbers and call status. Wired ports communicate with wired networkdevices.

A portable access point comprises providing mobile access point thatsupports a wireless local area network (LAN) and a wide area network;selectively establishing a plurality of Ethernet wireless links with aplurality of remote wireless client devices, respectively; selectivelyestablishing an Ethernet data connection with a remote Internet ServiceProvider (ISP); receiving and forwarding Ethernet data packets from atleast one of said wireless client devices to said ISP; receiving andforwarding Ethernet data packets from said ISP to said one of saidwireless client devices; routing packets between said wireless LAN andsaid wireless WAN; controlling operation of said wireless LAN and saidwireless WAN; and storing operating system and application instructions.

In other features, the method further comprises providing power to anexternal battery-powered device. The method further comprises operatingin a sleep mode until a resume signal is received from one of theplurality of wireless devices.

In further features, operating in sleep mode is performed when packetshave not been received from the plurality of wireless devices for afirst period of time. Operating in sleep mode includes monitoring astate of charge and varying the first period of time in accordance withthe state of charge. The method further comprises monitoring a state ofcharge to determine a power saving feature level. The method furthercomprises storing at least one of backup data and media information.

In still other features, the method wherein the establishing includescommunicating with a mobile phone capable of establishing a data servicewith the ISP. Establishing includes communicating directly with a dataservice of a mobile telephony service provider. The method furthercomprises protecting the wireless devices from malicious activity. Themethod further comprises providing Network Address Translation (NAT) tothe wireless devices. The method further comprises providing IP addressleases to the wireless devices.

In still further features, the method further comprises receiving datafrom physiological sensors. The physiological sensors include at leastone of a thermometer, a blood glucose meter, a blood pressure monitor, astethoscope, a pedometer, an ECG recorder, and an EEG recorder. Themethod further comprises converting analog physiological data into adigital format. The method further comprises boosting a signal levelfrom one of the physiological sensors.

In other features, the method further comprises determining a physicallocation and transmitting the physical location to a remote site when analarm condition is detected. The method further comprises displayinginformation pertaining to collected data from the physiological sensors.The method further comprises accepting input to determine when to sampledata from the physiological sensors. The method further comprisesproviding a secure web interface to authorized users for accessingcollected data from the physiological sensors.

In further features, the method further comprises receiving mediainformation, and at least one of recording and streaming the mediainformation. Receiving includes receiving media information from asatellite radio tuner. Receiving includes receiving media informationfrom an AM/FM tuner.

A portable access point comprises wireless LAN transceiving means forestablishing a plurality of Ethernet wireless links with a plurality ofwireless client devices, respectively. Wireless WAN transceiving meansestablishes an Ethernet data connection with an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP), receives and forwards Ethernet data packets from atleast one of said wireless client devices to said ISP and receives andforwards Ethernet data packets from said ISP to said one of saidwireless client devices. Routing means routes Ethernet data packetsbetween said wireless LAN transceiving means and said wireless WANtransceiving means. Control means controls operation of said wirelessLAN transceiving means and said wireless WAN transceiving means. Storingmeans stores operating system and application instructions for saidcontrol means.

In other features, charging means provides power from the charge storagemeans to an external battery-powered device. The wireless LANtransceiving means includes a sleep mode that stops transmission andwaits for a resume signal to be received, and wherein the control meansplaces the wireless LAN transceiving means in the sleep mode to conservepower. The control means places the wireless LAN transceiving means inthe sleep mode when packets have not been received at the wireless LANtransceiving means for a first period of time.

In further features, the control means monitors a state of charge of thecharge storage means, the first period of time varying in accordancewith the state of charge. The control means monitors a state of thecharge storage means to determine a power saving feature level. Secondstorage means stores at least one of backup data and media information.The second storage means includes universal file means for allowing thesecond storage means to appear as a removable device to the wirelessdevices.

In still other features, the wireless WAN transceiving means includesBluetooth transceiving means for communicating with Bluetooth mobilemeans for establishing a data service with the ISP. The wireless WANtransceiving means includes digital cellular means for communicatingwith the ISP via a data service of a mobile telephony service provider.Belt clip means allows wearing of the portable access point. Firewallmeans protects the wireless devices from malicious activity. Thefirewall means provides Network Address Translation (NAT) for thewireless devices. DHCP means leases Internet Protocol (IP) addresses tothe wireless devices.

In still further features, expansion port means connects to a stereosystem. Expansion port means connects to a headset. Expansion port meansreceives data from physiological sensors. The physiological sensorsinclude at least one of a thermometer, a blood glucose meter, a bloodpressure monitor, a stethoscope, a pedometer, an ECG recorder, and anEEG recorder. The expansion port means includes at least one analog todigital converting means for converting analog physiological data to adigital format. The expansion port means includes at least onepreamplifying means for boosting a signal level from one of thephysiological sensors.

In other features, Global Positioning System means determines a physicallocation of the portable access point, wherein the control means isoperable to transmit the physical location to a remote site when analarm condition is detected. Display means displays informationpertaining to collected data from the physiological sensors on thedisplay means. Input means accepts input to determine when to sampledata from the physiological sensors. Web server means provides a secureweb interface to authorized users for accessing collected data from thephysiological sensors.

In further features, the control means receives media information, andat least one of records and streams the media information. Satelliteradio tuning means receives satellite radio media information. AM/FMtuning means receives AM/FM media information. Audio port means connectsto at least one of headphones and a stereo system. The portable accesspoint also includes microphonic means for receiving audio information,speaker means for producing audio information, input device means forreceiving user information including telephone numbers, and displaymeans for displaying the telephone numbers and call status. Wired LANmeans communicates with wired network devices.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a wireless router according tothe prior art;

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary system according tothe principles of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of an alternative exemplary systemaccording to the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary implementation of alow-power portable access point according to the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary implementation of amore richly featured portable access point according to the principlesof the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a functional block diagram of an exemplary portable accesspoint tailored to physiological monitoring applications according to theprinciples of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiments is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses. For purposes of clarity, the same referencenumbers will be used in the drawings to identify similar elements. Asused herein, the term module refers to an application specificintegrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared,dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software orfirmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitablecomponents that provide the described functionality. As used herein, thephrase at least one of A, B, and C should be construed to mean a logical(A or B or C), using a non-exclusive logical or. It should be understoodthat steps within a method may be executed in different order withoutaltering the principles of the present invention.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a functional block diagram of an exemplarysystem according to the principles of the present invention ispresented. A portable access point 202 is shown communicating withvarious client devices 204. Device 204-1 may be a personal computer,device 204-2 may be a printer device, device 204-3 may be a digitalcamera, and device 204-4 may be a laptop computer. Additional or fewerdevices may be connected to the portable access point 202, and may be ofmany different types. The portable access point 202 communicates withthe Internet, represented graphically at 210, via an Internet ServiceProvider. The portable access point 202 may communicate with theInternet 210 via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), CDMA2000(indicating a 3G service using Code Division Multiple Access), UMTS(Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), WiMax or I.E.E.E. 802.16,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety, EvolutionData Optimized (EVDO) broadband wireless access based on 3G, or anyother suitable wide area network mechanism.

Alternately, the portable access point 202 may communicate with theInternet 210 via the scheme depicted in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3, the portableaccess point 202 communicates with a mobile phone 220 via a short-rangewireless protocol such as Bluetooth. Alternately, a physical connectioncould be established between the mobile phone 220 and the portableaccess point 202. The mobile phone 220 communicates with a wirelessservice provider 222, which in turn communicates with the Internet 210.The portable access point 202 uses the mobile phone 220 as a dataservice conduit to the wireless service provider 222.

Referring again to FIG. 2, the portable access point 202 allows thewireless devices 204 to communicate with each other, and to communicatewith hosts on the Internet 210. The portable access point 202 mayprovide IP addresses via DHCP to the wireless devices 204. The portableaccess point 202 may also include NAT capability to allow an IP addressvisible to the Internet 210 to be shared by the wireless devices 204.The portable access point may also include a firewall to protect thedevices 204 from malicious activity, and may include a web server foreasy configuration of the portable access point 202.

The portable access point 202 may further include storage such thatmedia and/or data information can be stored in the portable access point202. This information may include pictures from the digital camera 204-3or backup files from the laptop computer 204-4. The information may alsoinclude recorded or downloaded audio/video content and/or physiologicalinformation, discussed in further detail below. The portable accesspoint 202 is powered by a portable power source, such as a battery.Solar power or a hand crank may also provide power to the portableaccess point 202. The portable access point 202 may be configured so asto be worn on a user's belt, placed in a briefcase, or located in apurse.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a functional block diagram of an exemplaryimplementation of a low-power portable access point 300 according to theprinciples of the present invention is presented. The portable accesspoint 300 includes a processor 302 that communicates with system storage304. The system storage 304 includes instructions for the processor 302,and also includes operating parameters. Based on instructions fromsystem storage 304, which may include an operating system andapplication programs, the processor 302 directs operation of a routingmodule 308, a wireless LAN transceiver 310, a DHCP server 312, afirewall 314, a wireless WAN transceiver 316, and a battery pack 320.The routing module 308 communicates with the DHCP server 312, thefirewall 314, the wireless WAN transceiver 316, the wireless LANtransceiver 310, and the processor 302.

The wireless LAN transceiver 310 can communicate with multiple wirelessdevices (not shown) via a wireless networking protocol, such as IEEE802.11, proprietary extensions of IEEE 802.11, and/or other suitablewireless networking protocols. The wireless WAN transceiver 316establishes a connection to the Internet (not shown) as discussed inFIGS. 2 and 3. In the implementation of FIG. 2, the wireless WANtransceiver 316 may implement a suitable wireless packet data protocolsuch as GPRS, CDMA2000, and/or UMTS. In the implementation of FIG. 3,the wireless WAN transceiver 316 may implement a Bluetooth (or othersuitable short range wireless network) protocol to communicate with adata-enabled mobile phone. Alternately, the wireless WAN transceiver 316may be replaced with a wired connection to the mobile phone.

The routing module 308, as controlled by the processor 302, allowspackets to be communicated among and between wireless devices connectedto the wireless LAN transceiver 310 and the Internet via the wirelessWAN transceiver 316. Additionally, the routing module 308 may routepackets to and from an optional wired network connection (not shown),such as Ethernet. The DHCP server 312 assigns IP addresses to wirelessdevices requesting such addresses through the wireless LAN transceiver310. The processor 302 may also be capable of requesting a DHCP leasefrom the ISP (Internet Service Provider) via the wireless WANtransceiver 316. The routing module 308 communicates with the DHCPserver 312, the firewall 314, the wireless WAN transceiver 316, thewireless LAN transceiver 310, and the processor 302.

The firewall 314 protects wireless devices connected to the wireless LANtransceiver 310 from malicious activity, and may also filter maliciousactivity originating from the wireless devices. The firewall 314 mayimplement other functions such as parental controls, intrusiondetection, MAC (Media Access Control) filtering, URL (Uniform ResourceLocator) filtering, time/date restrictions, and IP address filtering.The firewall 314 may further offer Network Address Translation (NAT)capability to allow the wireless devices to share a singleInternet-visible IP address. The portable access point 300 may beconfigured to attach to a user's belt via a belt clip 330. An optionalcharging connection 332 may be adjacent to, or integrated with, the beltclip 330. The charging connection 332 allows another device to becharged from the battery pack 320. This device may be a mobiletelephone, a PDA, or any other battery-powered device.

The processor 302 communicates with a universal file system 306, whichin turn communicates with a storage device 307. The universal filesystem 306 allows the portable access point 300 to be connected to anywired or wireless client device (e.g., desktop or laptop computer)running any major operating system (e.g., Windows, MacOS, Linux.OpenBSD, etc.). The universal file system 306 can make the storagedevice 307 appear as a removable storage device to the client operatingsystem. The user can then easily transfer multimedia files(data/audio/video) between the portable access point 300 and the remotedevice via standard file transfer operations such as drag-and-drop.

The battery pack 320 communicates with a power input 322, to which auser of the portable access point 300 can connect a power source tocharge the battery pack 320. The processor 302 may direct charging ofthe battery pack 320, or the battery pack 320 may have built-incircuitry that controls its charging. The processor 302 may also be ableto monitor the charge remaining in the battery pack 320 and/or modulateits output voltage. The battery pack 320 provides power to the moduleswithin the portable access point 300. The battery pack 320 may operatein conjunction with buck or boost converters (DC to DC) to providevarious voltages to different modules. The power input 322 may acceptthe output of a transformer, or may accept mains voltages (such as 125V60 Hz AC) so that an outboard transformer does not need to be carried.

The processor 302 controls power consumption to maximize the operatingtime from the battery pack 320. The processor 302 may monitor a state ofthe battery pack 320 to determine how aggressively to implement powersaving features. One such feature is to either power down or place amodule in a sleep mode. This decision may be made based on the length oftime since the module was last used. The length of time may vary inaccordance with the state of charge of the battery pack 320; i.e., whenthe battery pack 320 has less charge, a module is powered down after ashorter period of time.

For instance, the processor 302 may power down the wireless WANtransceiver 316 when packets have not been communicated to the Internetfor a period of time. If incoming connections from the Internet areexpected, the wireless WAN transceiver 316 may also support a sleep modewhereby the wireless WAN transceiver 316 awaits a wake signal from theWAN. Alternately, the processor may power down the wireless WANtransceiver 316 when the firewall 314 determines there are no open TCP(Transmission Control Protocol) connections between the wireless devicesand the Internet.

The processor 302 may also place the wireless LAN transceiver 310 insleep mode when packets have not been received at the wireless LANtransceiver for a period of time. The wireless LAN transceiver 310 maybe in a sleep mode until it receives a wake-up signal from a wirelessdevice. In sleep mode, the wireless LAN transceiver 310 does not need toperform any transmission or decoding; only the receiver must be powered.

If the system storage module 304 is not being used, it can be directedto go into a sleep mode where it draws only enough power to maintain itscontents. A storage technology such as flash RAM would require no powerto maintain its state. The DHCP server 312 and firewall 314 may beimplemented as functions of the processor 302, and the processor 302 maycease executing these functions to conserve power. The processor 302 mayreduce its operating frequency, or may itself enter into a sleep mode.In such a sleep mode, the processor 302 would wait for a wake signal tobe received from the wireless LAN transceiver 310. Additionally theportable access point 300 may have an on/off switch to allow allfunctions to be turned off to save power.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a functional block diagram of an exemplaryimplementation of a more richly featured portable access point 400according to the principles of the present invention is presented. Inthis example, portable access point 400 includes mobile phonecapability, which uses a display 402 to communicate information to auser, an input device 404 to receive information such as phone numbersfrom the user, a speaker 406 to provide audio information to the user,and a microphone 408 to receive audio information, such as the user'svoice. A processor 410 controls the display 402, the input device 404,the speaker 406, and the microphone 408, using an operating system andapplications retrieved from a system storage module 414.

The display 402 may include a LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or LED (LightEmitting Diode) display, may be color, and may be capable of full-motionvideo. The display 402 may display dialed telephone numbers and/or callstatus. The input device 404 may include buttons, a touchpad, scrollwheels, and/or a touch screen. The speaker 406 may include a DAC(Digital to Analog Converter) and/or an amplifier. The microphone 408may include an ADC (Analog to Digital converter) and/or an amplifier.

The processor 410 may also communicate information to the user via a setof indicators 416. These indicators may display the status of a wirelessLAN transceiver 418 or a wireless WAN transceiver 420. The wireless LANtransceiver 418 is capable of communicating with a plurality of wirelessdevices and may attach to an external antenna 422, which may or may notbe removable. The wireless WAN transceiver 420 communicates with amobile telephone service provider that offers data service and mayattach to an external antenna 424, which may or may not be removable. Arouting module 426 allows packets to be directed between and amongdevices communicating with the wireless LAN transceiver 418 and thewireless WAN transceiver 420. The routing module 426 may also route toone or more wired ports 428 for connecting to devices with a wired LANcapability, such as Ethernet (IEEE 802.3).

A DHCP server 440 and a firewall 442 communicate with the routing module426. The DHCP server 440 provides IP addresses (in the form of a DHCPlease) to wireless devices connecting to the wireless LAN transceiver418 or to devices connecting to the wired ports 428. The firewall 442filters packets and protects the wired and wireless devices frommalicious activity. The processor 410 communicates with a storage device444 that is capable of storing media information and/or user data. Themedia information may have originated from a variety of sources, such ason-board recording, or uploading from a user device such as a computeror media player. This content may be downloaded to wireless devices, orprovided as streaming content by the processor 410. In addition, theprocessor 410 may provide such content to the display 402, the speaker406, or an audio port 446. The processor accesses the storage device 444via a universal file system module 445, as described above with respectto FIG. 4.

The audio port 446 may allow the connection of headphones or may allowconnection of the portable access point 400 to a stereo system. Theportable access point 400 may also include an AM/FM tuner 448 and/or asatellite radio tuner 450, either or both of which may utilize externalantennas, represented as 452 and 454, respectively. The processor 410directs the tuning of the AM/FM and satellite radio tuners 448 and 450,and may stream their media to wireless devices via the wireless LANtransceiver 418 or may store their content in the storage device 444 forlater upload or playback.

An expansion port 460 allows the portable access point 400 tocommunicate with additional devices, such as a headset, an automobilephone connection, or physiological sensors as discussed below. A batterypack 470 provides power to the portable access point 400. The batterypack 470 can be charged by a power cord connected from a mainsreceptacle to a charging connection 472. The charging connection 472 mayreceive a DC voltage that is appropriate for charging the battery pack470, or may have to transform incoming AC or DC into an appropriate DCvoltage for the battery pack 470.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a functional block diagram of an exemplaryportable access point 500 tailored to physiological monitoringapplications according to the principles of the present invention ispresented. The portable access point 500 includes a processor 502,system storage 504, a routing module 506, a wireless LAN transceiver508, a DHCP server 510, a firewall 512, a wireless WAN transceiver 514,a display 516, an input device 518, a storage device 520, indicators522, a battery pack 524, a charging connection 526, and optionalantennas 530 and 532, all of which operate similarly to modulesdescribed above with respect to FIG. 5. In addition, the storage device520 may incorporate a universal file system, described above withrespect to FIG. 4.

The portable access point 500 contains an expansion port 534 which isadapted to be connected to various physiological sensors and recorders550. These sensors can include a thermometer 550-1, a blood glucosemeter 550-2, a blood pressure monitor 550-3, a stethoscope 550-4, apedometer 550-5, an ECG (Electrocardiogram) recorder 550-6, and an EEG(Electroencephalogram) recorder 550-7. Many other types of physiologicalsensors can be connected, including but not limited to, mass sensors(such as digital scales), pulse oximeters (for measuring oxygenatedhemoglobin proportion in blood), spirometers (for measuring air capacityof the lungs), and/or sensors for measuring international normalizedratio of prothrombin time (PT/INR).

These physiological sensors provide physiological data to the expansionport 534, which is optionally processed by the processor 502 and storedin the storage device 520. This information can be retrieved by awireless device connected to the wireless LAN transceiver 508, or may beavailable through the Internet via the wireless WAN transceiver 514. Theexpansion port 534 may include ADCs to convert analog data from sensorsinto digital data. In addition, the expansion port 534 may includepreamplifiers to boost the amplitude of incoming analog signals and/orlevel shifters to receive digital signals from a wide variety of digitallogic families.

Physiological sensors 550 may alternately communicate with the wirelessLAN transceiver 508 if they have wireless capability. The input device518 may allow users to, for example, enter how often certain readingsare to be taken or identify the various sensors connected to theexpansion port 534. Data being recorded, data that has previously beenrecorded, information pertaining to when data should be uploaded, andinterpretations of readings can be conveyed to the user via the display516. Additionally, an optional secure web server allows physiologicaldata to be accessed remotely, such as by clinician or hospital staff.

The portable access point 500 may additionally include a GPS (GlobalPositioning System) receiver 556 having an optional external antenna558. When the processor 502 detects an alarm condition, the processor502 can obtain the current physical location of the portable accesspoint 500 using the GPS receiver 556. The alarm condition may be derivedfrom abnormal readings from a physiological sensor 550, or from manualinput from the user, such as to the input device 518. The processor 502may periodically update its physical location information, so that ifthe GPS receiver cannot locate a signal (such as when inside), at leastrecent position information is available.

Upon detecting the alarm condition, the processor 502 generates an alarmmessage that contains the position information. The position informationcan help Emergency Medical Services to locate the patient. The alarmmessage may also include stored patient information, and historicaland/or current physiological sensor 550 readings. The portable accesspoint 500 then sends the alarm message wirelessly to a pre-programmedaddress. The alarm message is preferably encrypted, and may be sent inany suitable format (e.g., Short Message Service text message, email,eXtensible Markup Language message, etc.). The alarm message may alsocontain authentication information to prevent forged alarm messages.

Those skilled in the art can now appreciate from the foregoingdescription that the broad teachings of the present invention can beimplemented in a variety of forms. Therefore, while this invention hasbeen described in connection with particular examples thereof, the truescope of the invention should not be so limited since othermodifications will become apparent to the skilled practitioner upon astudy of the drawings, the specification and the following claims.

1. A portable access point comprising: a wireless local area network(LAN) transceiver configured to selectively communicate with a pluralityof wireless client devices; a wireless wide area network (WAN)transceiver configured to (i) wirelessly obtain Internet access via anInternet Service Provider (ISP), (ii) receive and forward packets fromat least one of the wireless client devices to the ISP, and (iii)receive and forward packets from the ISP to the one of the wirelessclient devices; a routing device configured to route packets between thewireless LAN transceiver and the wireless WAN transceiver; and a controlmodule configured to control operation of the wireless LAN transceiverand the wireless WAN transceiver, including activating a sleep mode whendata has not been received at the wireless LAN transceiver for a firstperiod of time, wherein a length of the first period of time is based ona state of charge of a power source of the portable access point, andwherein in response to activation of the sleep mode, the wireless LANtransceiver is configured to halt wireless transmissions.
 2. Theportable access point of claim 1, wherein the wireless WAN transceiverincludes a Bluetooth transceiver configured to communicate with the ISPvia a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone.
 3. The portable access point ofclaim 1, wherein the wireless WAN transceiver includes a digitalcellular transceiver.
 4. The portable access point of claim 1, furthercomprising wired networking ports configured to selectively communicatewith wired network devices, wherein the routing device is configured toroute data between the wireless LAN transceiver, the wireless WANtransceiver, and the wired networking ports.
 5. The portable accesspoint of claim 1, further comprising a dynamic host configurationprotocol (DHCP) server configured to lease Internet Protocol (IP)addresses to ones of the plurality of client devices.
 6. The portableaccess point of claim 1, further comprising a firewall configured toprovide Network Address Translation (NAT) for the plurality of clientdevices.
 7. The portable access point of claim 1, further comprising acharging connection configured to provide power from the power source toan external battery-powered device.
 8. The portable access point ofclaim 1, further comprising: a microphone; a speaker; an input deviceconfigured to receive information including a telephone number; and adisplay configured to display the telephone number and a call status. 9.The portable access point of claim 1, wherein the portable access pointis configured to be worn by a user.
 10. The portable access point ofclaim 9, further comprising an interface configured to receive data froma physiological sensor, wherein the physiological sensor includes athermometer, a blood glucose meter, a blood pressure monitor, astethoscope, a pedometer, an electrocardiogram recorder, or anelectroencephalogram recorder.
 11. A method of operating a portableaccess point, the method comprising: wirelessly communicating with aplurality of client devices using a wireless local area network (LAN)transceiver; wirelessly obtaining Internet access from a wirelessInternet Service Provider (ISP) using a wireless wide area network (WAN)transceiver; routing packets between the wireless LAN transceiver andthe wireless WAN transceiver; determining a first period of time basedon a state of charge of a power source of the portable access point;activating a sleep mode when data has not been received at the wirelessLAN transceiver during the first period of time; and in response toactivation of the sleep mode, halting wireless transmissions of thewireless LAN transceiver.
 12. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising: communicating with wired network devices; and routing databetween the wireless LAN transceiver, the wireless WAN transceiver, andthe wired network devices.
 13. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising leasing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses to ones of theplurality of client devices.
 14. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising performing Network Address Translation (NAT) for theplurality of client devices.
 15. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising selectively providing power from the power source to anexternal battery-powered device.
 16. The method of claim 11, furthercomprising: receiving voice data from a microphone; outputting audiodata through a speaker; receiving information including a telephonenumber; and displaying the telephone number and a call status.
 17. Themethod of claim 11, wherein the portable access point is configured tobe worn by a user.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprisingreceiving data from a physiological sensor, wherein the physiologicalsensor includes a thermometer, a blood glucose meter, a blood pressuremonitor, a stethoscope, a pedometer, an electrocardiogram recorder, oran electroencephalogram recorder.